The Kaaterskill Falls are one of New York’s most bountiful and orgiastic natural spots. Driven through thousands of years of rock, potentially even millions really. And they lend their name, or perhaps receive it, from the surrounding Catskill Mountins (as the Dutch called them, the Kaatskills.) Half of one, six a dozen of the other. .
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Now yesterday when we arrived to the parking lot, it was crammed to the brim with sardines. First thought that the aimless horde of touristic monotony had returned to sully my enjoyment. And then I breathed deep, realized what a sanctimonious pretentious little prick my COVID brain can be, and went on to enjoy the type of blissful refreshment that is best enjoyed in the company of perfect strangers.
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For the Kaaterskills are bliss. Cantilevered, crescendoing, graceful and supremely, supremely rejuvenating.
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As for the tourists, there was the Chinese family of 6.....the grandmas and grandpas I took a picture for “oh don’t worry hunny we like the view of the mountains betta anyway”.... Alexa next to me in one of Sarov’s cheap green picnic chairs (honestly all time great move bringing chairs to the falls)... that rabbi and his hassidic wife who looked just about to melt on the way down the steps... the Rasta man who offered me some of his cracked in half watermelon if I came back to the upper watering hole... the girl with the bandage on her knee who’s hand I held down the rocky incline: “your boyfriend’s a gentlemen’s, he’s a keeper” thank you mam (of course I remember ~that~)... the attractive yoga couple who took the same exact path as us (or us them?) never exchanged words and left on a god damn tandem motorcycle... people from around the world!!! ... that dopey kid in the Aaron Judge jersey who I gave directions to the lower falls.... potato kid who made his dad submerge in the freezing water and blamed it on me.. and of course so many others. Polish Family, kids with the dock, that girl who said something about being horny to her friend, squatting cigarette lady, dog kid, and the rest of the beautiful fall loving freaks.
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So good to see people having a nice time. In New York, no less...
